Reason to Live
by Enilezah
Summary: Natsume's battling with cancer. He has problems. Mikan is a doctor. She has problems. It's 3AM, and an unexpected encounter with the both occurs. What do you expect when both of their worlds collide? MXN
1. Prologue

**Prologue.**

Everything in my life seemed to be suddenly falling apart after I found out about the truth, the fucking unbearable truth. Why did God even allowed me to live, if everything would eventually disappear before me? And as much as I want to do a thing to stop all of these from happening, I can't. God forbid, maybe.

I have cancer.

I don't have a clue as to what type or stage it is, and I don't intend on knowing it either.

Friends, one simple word, is the simple reason to all my complicated sufferings. I would suffer the fear, the depression, and the sorrow. I don't even know if I have the right to call them friends, knowing that all these years I acted cold to them, maybe sometimes even too cold, and they were too kind to me. Thinking back, my life wasn't actually all that perfect. My dad who never cared about anything but his business, my mom who drowns herself with the luxuries of branded items, left me everything I needed in life except for a family. And now that I might be leaving them behind, I did not expect to feel such pain. I don't know if I can bear the pain, well, as if I can do anything. I will be _dying_. So, technically, I won't be feeling any pain, well, physically, anyway.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, interrupting my depression. I turned off the TV that I was watching, heading to the door.

'Hey Natsume,' Ruka entered. I nodded to acknowledge his presence. Ruka's the only person I told this secret to and the only one whom I intended to know about this. I just forgot a tiny detail, if I hadn't forgotten about his _'commitment'_ to his wife I wouldn't have told him.

'How are you?' His deep blue eyes were filled with concern.

'Oh, I'm _fine_, I was just wondering _how I would die_ before you came,' I replied.

'Come on Natsume,' Ruka sighed. I know he was getting a bit aggravated now, 'Is this about last night? I said I was sorry.'

'And I just can't get the fact that you have to tell your wife everything,' I replied still annoyed about last night. After I found out yesterday that I had this sickness, I met up with Ruka, knowing that he wouldn't tell anyone. I was wrong. It's different back then, when he was still unattached, still single. Now that he was married to that blackmailer, every secret should be told to his wife in order for him to 'live without the guilt', as he said.

'We had a commitment, man, you know how hard it is to be stuck in the middle between you two,'

I know that being stuck in the middle between your best friend and your wife, Ruka is also suffering. I might as well give in to stop all the arguments. Last thing I want is to die without a truce with my best friend. 'Yeah, I get you, sorry for being too inconsiderate.'

'Don't apologize. It's not your fault.' He sat down to the couch as I headed to the fridge to get some beer.

'Natsume, don't drink that,' Ruka pleaded, 'It's bad for you.'

'Thanks for the advice, man, but, living will now be a struggle for me if I still want to recover, might as well live my remaining years being happy, right?' I forced a grin to appear then took a gulp.

I haven't died yet, but Ruka looked at me as if I already did. 'Natsume, you don't even know how mild or serious your sickness is, you might still have a chance to live. Don't waste your life, you have a lot ahead of you, you're still twenty-five.'

"Coming from the mouth of someone who was married at 20." I retorted back. Ruka gave up.

I chugged some more beer, doesn't matter how mild of serious my sickness is, I will still undergo the torment of the treatment, and that will also worry everybody.

'By the way Natsume,' Ruka looked nervous now, the hell, what's with his mood today?

'Hn?'

'Hotaru's on her way here,'

When he said those bloody words, all the beer I have just drank automatically flowed out of my mouth.

'What the hell did you bring her here for?' I wiped the beer scattered around my mouth.

'She insisted,' Ruka said avoiding my death glare at him.

Damn, I threw away the beer, knowing what that girl could do. 'Why? So she can make her _voodoo_ _magic_ on me? To _hypnotize_ me?'

'Not that, she was just thinking that the bad news shocked you and that she will '_talk_' to you.' He smiled sheepishly, 'With her being a psychologist and all.' The doorbell rang again.

'Fuck.' I gave Ruka the death glare, hoping that he would get the message.

'Hyuuga,'

'Imai,' I gritted my teeth.

She immediately sat down at the couch beside Ruka.

'So, what brought you to invade my house all of a sudden?'

'I heard,' her eyes narrowed,

'Let the whole world know,' I mumbled under my breath.

'Don't you even want to take the treatment? Don't you want to live?'

'No,' I automatically replied.

'Oh yeah? What about us then? What are we to you? What about your family? Huh? Your mom? Your dad?'

That hit the right spot. Thinking about it now, I have little time left with my dad, my mom, and my friends, I regret everything. I regret the fact that I had been cold to my friends, the fact that I never exerted more with my mom and dad—that I never loved my parents. Why me? Why not some criminal who massacred people? What is life's purpose?

'Imai, just stop all these, I won't undergo treatments that are unprogressive. I'd rather live my remaining years happily and fully contented.'

'You just got to _try_,' She's getting frustrated, she doesn't take no for an answer. And lucky me, my best friend, was just sitting there watching us argue without even trying to save me from his lunatic of a wife. 'I think you got a problem,'

'You think?'

'Yes. In fact, I think, that it's with your brain,' What is she talking about!

'Damn, what do you _want_!' I heaved out an exasperated sigh. 'I'm fucking _neurotic_ now?'

'No. I was just saying, that the news shocked you, it also shocked us and we know that you're having a difficult time here, so maybe, you don't want the treatment because you are still in the process of taking the shock in.'

That left me speechless; I didn't know what my expression showed or if my mouth was open or closed. I have never been more mortified in my life.

'Just let us help,' Ruka finally opened his mouth, trying to smile.

'Fine. What,' I almost pleaded, and I have never in my life lowered my pride to anyone, 'do I have to do to make the both of you stop talking?'

'Go see a doct-'

'I already saw one,' I said, 'How on earth would I know that I have this curse of a lifetime?'

'Then why didn't you ask about the state you're in?' Hotaru demanded.

'I, don't want to know…' I left the sentence hanging.

'Shit, Natsume,' One more word from that daughter of the Devil I will reall-'that's shit, you really want to know what you need to do to stop us from talking?'

'…' Everything suddenly became excruciatingly silent, only the buzzing of the fridge can be heard, as if building up the tension.

'Go to Mikan Sakura.'

**Author's Notes:**

**Please review! Comments and criticisms are welcomed!**


	2. The Encounter

**Author's Notes: Hi guys! I know I've been out way too long! Now I'm back! Thank you for all of your support! R&R! **

* * *

**-The Encounter-**

_**Natsume Hyuuga**_

The name didn't ring a bell. Who the hell is Mikan Sakura? Hotaru lifted an eye brow. 'Done? '

I just grunted. I realized that since I would be dying anyway, might as well grant both of my friends' requests.

'Tomorrow 4 PM sharp,' Hotaru began. Knowing her, she might have thought earlier that her plan would succeed, which actually did, and already made an appointment with the doctor. She turned on the TV and sat on the couch opposite to mine and Ruka's as she sipped casually at the Cola, which by the way, she just took from my fridge without permission. Talk about manners.

I glanced to my right where Ruka was seated looking sheepish, he didn't even defend me from his monster of a wife. 'Come on Natsume, don't be like that, just give it a try all right?' He stood up and laid a hand on my back as what he always did. 'We'll go with you.'

They both headed to the door, Hotaru, with MY Cola in hand, glared at me at the same time already transmitting the message that something bad will happen if I didn't go. That might just be the most ironic thing. I already have _cancer_, what could be worse than that?

I was left standing in my living room, with Ellen de Generes saying something funny about a guy in his underwear, which really isn't that funny. I turned it off. I have to do something. I need to get these thoughts out of my mind, something to occupy my mind even for a little while, a hobby, maybe. Books..painting… guitar…

…

…what the hell, I need a drink.

* * *

_**Normal POV**_

The street was almost barren except for a few who were old enough not to mind curfews anymore. One of them would be the raven haired Natsume Hyuuga, aimlessly walking around with his eyes glued to his expensively crafted footwear obviously in deep contemplation. Two or three street lights are the only ones illuminating the young man's long walk across the street towards his destination. After a series of kicking cans and stones which 'deterred' him of his way, he finally arrived the place.

He pushed open the door generating a ring of the bell.

"Heey, Nat! Long time no see!" The bartender whose name is Koko cried out. Natsume simply raised his eyebrows to acknowledge his friend as he went to the bar table with rows of high red seats.

He observed the place. After a year, this place was still maintained and well-kept. Everything seemed to be the same from his last visit which was a year ago—the dark ambience, the too little amount of lights, the soft jazz tune that seemed to play even in the back of your head, the bartenders, the customers, with the exception of few new faces. The place was not new to him at all. From his former high school years up to his college years, he hanged here almost everyday due to 'problems'. If you'd call being immensely pressured to take over a huge corporation by one's own father who cares only for his business a problem, that is.

"Yo man, what's been holding you?" Koko asked while wiping glasses then putting them in a surprisingly neat pile after.

"Guess." Natsume arched his brow sarcastically.

Koko on the other hand, knew the answer yet decided to play along, "….GIRL-"

"Work." Natsume cut him off before he could say the word. He actually disliked girls. Having spent his life being chased by their 'specimen'(as Natsume would like to call them), Natsume have long sworn girls out of his life thinking that all of them are useless 'specimens', without a care in the world but their appearances and men.

"Yeah, yeah, Daddy still keeps you busy until wee hours?"

Natsume sighed in response. Koko, beaming, brought him a bucket of beer in return. "Here, my treat. It's for not seeing you in a long time sitting on those chairs. Drink all you can, man."

Natsume smiled. "Thanks, I needed that."

Hours passed. Koko left his shift to be exchanged by Sumire. As Sumire entered the bar to work her graveyard shift, she went on with her usual routine passing Natsume. Then…"Wait! Did I see it right!"

Natsume, who was absorbed in his drinking didn't see her at all. She took a double glance before exclaiming, "It's you!"

It took a second or two for Natsume to realize that the lady was referring to him. So when he glanced up, his head spun and his eyes created triple dancing figures of the green haired girl. He tried focusing on the girl. "…oh, hey, sumire." His hushed voice sensed drinking.

"Oh, really Natsume, haven't you changed at all?" Sumire smiled, surveying him with the pile of empty bottles surrounding him.

Natsume smirked at that comment. He gulped.

_Why me?_

He took another gulp.

_I still have a lot more things to do before I die._

He took one longer gulp.

_I am not contented. I won't ever be. I don't want to die…_

His head began to throb as a prickling sensation slowly crept up his eyes. His arms that were supporting his upper torso resting in the counter began to hurt.

Sumire went ahead to the kitchen although there's only two tables to attend to aside from his which was the bartender counter. Come to think of it, those were the only ones who remained since he entered the bar who hadn't left—the one at his back which was occupied by a brunette and a man, and the other at the far end of the corner which were occupied by a couple in their mid 40's doing their 'thing'. _'What time is it anyway?'_ He thought to himself.

Natsume turned his head at his back to have a glance at the clock. It's already 2:45 AM. As he was about to return to his beers, he caught sight of the table from his back. It took him just a second to realize what was happening. He wasn't that intoxicated with the beers yet for him not to comprehend.

He turned his head back to his beers, intently listening. _'I am not eavesdropping.' _He tried lessening his guilt. He did not mean to listen. He doesn't even like girls for goodness sake. But you don't encounter these everyday. _'An exception?'_ Natsume thought to himself as he took another gulp of beer.

"Why don't we just try it, eh? It won't hurt that much" The man urged with futile attempts to be seductive. From the corner of Natsume's eyes, he could see that the man was way older than the girl, it was a pity for the man is nearing baldness.

"Please, don't. It's already enough that I have to be forced into this kind of mess." The girl inched farther from her seat. She sounds sober enough, but the man doesn't have a single soberness in his system.

"Well theeenn, I just haave to destroy your dear papa's business? Heheeh…" The man smiled manically.

Brunette girl covered her nose of the foul odor which is not only because of the beer. "I've already agreed! What more do you want?"

"You, right now, in my house." The man's eyes steadily held the girls' gaze which was fear stricken. Natusme, who was still listening felt the urge to stand up and punch the old man's face right on, but decided to control himself. Natsume wonders if something isn't right with him today. He usually ignores this when it comes to other girls. But tonight, it's different.

Unable to answer, she gathered her things and stood up. But before she could even stand up, the man groped her arm forcing her to sit with a loud thud o her chair.

"You're hurting me." The girl said calmly. But Natsume easily detected fear.

"Not letting you go until you plaay with meee…" The man sing songed. The least Natsume could do was try not to barf in his seat. _'Is he for real? This retard is disgusting.'_ Natsume thought.

Watching from his seat at the corner of his eyes, Natsume was contemplating on whether he would interfere or not. He already has enough problems to deal with, why add more.

When the girl tried to release herself from the man's grip, the man smashed his face to her neck with loud slobbery kisses making his way up to her lips while all the girl could do was struggle from the iron grip that was holding her captive.

The second the man's hands started acting its ways down the petite's body, Natsume didn't do any more contemplation and blatantly stood up from his seat. _'Interfere it is.'_

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**Author's Notes: I hope you liked it! Please review! **


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